Refrigerating apparatus.



E. F. NAUER.

REFRIGERAHNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED )UNE 5 NH3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

E. F. NAUER. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED )UNE 5,1913.

1916. 2 sauts-suur z.

PatentedSept. 26

UmfrED S'Efnfrns reirme? @ENCE 1v i ERNEs'r E. NAUER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, essIGNoP., BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

` ISKO, INCORPORATED, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, a CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

Application filed lune 5, 1913. p. Serial No. 771,812.

Toad-'whom it 'muy concem':

Be. it known that I, E nNEsT FfNUEn, a

C agg, inthe eountyfof Cook and Stute pj1'r t'us and 'I do herebydeelare that the "'iollowing'is a full, -lear, and exact descriptionfthereof, reference beinghad to the aclo' 'reference marked thereon, whichl form a part fcompanyingdrawings, andto the'letters of in refrigerating apparatus, and consists of the'fmatters hereinafter' described :rnd more particularly*pointed* out in the fappended The invention is ofthat typein vwhich nirv is usedejs the efrigerziting medium, and u1 whichi the' desired. low temperature 'is ini- Dart-edptothe air by pssing. it through suc gcessive sta-ges of compression, cooling, ex-

j pension and exhaust-@Why means'pf suitable'fadevices, designed topromote it-circula` that.1 is to 'be refrigerated into and through` tionof :i-ir from the box orA compartment 'the 'refrigerpting apparatus-and. back tothe fus box again.

Invlthe drawings sen if'ng n side elevation of my improved refrigratingnpparntus, Athe same being shown iis' :i'ttached to the top wnll of the box or coinpartlnent that iis tO'be refrigerntedin this case, to the A-top well of lan ordinary refrigerator. Fig. `2'is a, view representing :i vferticixl section through the :ippamtus in a plane indicated hy the line 242 thereof. .'Fig. 3 is :L View representing, onzin enlarged seele, a section through the compressor and the expansion engine used in my improved apparatus@ Iigs-, 5 und 6 are detail, sectional views o n a' still larger scale of the 'valves used in the compressor showing said valves in different positions. Fig. 7 is :i detziilview in elevation, showing the port openings in the cylinder heads.

Referring;r now to' that embodiment of my invention shown in the dran'ingDfslO indivtetes the refrigerating apparatus ns a. whole, 50

which is attached to the top wall 1l of a refrigeintor 12 that is of any familiar or usunlonstruction.

lgindicntes :I closed tank which comprises the base of the refrigeration apparatus, and which acts to support a compressor und an z en of thefUnited States, andA a vresident i Specification f Letters Patent. Patented SephZG Figure 1 is a view repre- BEFRIGERATING AIPABATUS.

lair expansion engine, whieh have afcommon Ierafnk casing and base indicated at 14. ,The

outer annuler coinpertinent.07 surrounding Suid central f cinnmrtrnent. A-plurnlfyifof openings Z1 ure locatedut or nen' tom ofthe partition wnlll to'pro communicntion between-the'inner :u i compartments of the tn n'l: i walll 1S is fixed :It the'z-top groorevlj formed inftlie'hottox 'jf ee-of'the while there u. free'. pnfssngejalgthe' bottom between the inner 'and o uti', "cqxiplrtxnen'ts 'is nii-connection within the tunlrbetween sind eoinpartments at the top..

Within the inner eouipirtinenti"iffof*the*A tank is located :I coil'of pipe The lower or intake end of sind eoi'lextends 'through the side wall of the tank and .through the top wnll 1l of therefrigernt'or 12-and 'is therein connected to n 1;)erfornt'ed inletfpipe or nozzle 24,l located nez'ir `th'e top 'of the refrigerator. The u pp'er delivery endo'f the coil 23 is connected hy n pipeQ-lf, which extends through the top wfftllof the tank, t0-

to the inlet side of :1n nir expansion engine;-

Tll Gifting ZU :iets :isn trap for the unter' of condensation nuil is provided with :i petcofili 29 for drainage purposes. 212 indicates n pipe lending `from the rxhuustside of sziiil engine. Suid pipeextenils down- \\nrdly alongside of, lvutwvithout the tank k:in inner central compartmentfl9f'niid1un f 13, through the top wall llof the refrigeral*the system thus described, it will be seen that the air ,in the refrigerator is drawn through the perforated linlet pipe 24 into the coil 23, whence it passes through the pipzefZ into the inlet side of `the compressor 26` From'the compressor 26, it is discharged through the` pipe 28 into the coil A27 and from thence itpasses by meansl of the pipe 30 into the ,inlet side of thef'air expansion engine 31. F rom the exhaust side of the expansion engine, it is conducted by means of the pipe 32 to the perforated pipe 33, whence itis discharged into the relrig--A erator. Thus, there is maintained through the system a continuons circulation of. the air from the refrigerator, through the refrigerating apparatus and back to the re frigerator. l

The tank-13, including both the inner and outer chambers, is filled with ordinary' city water. The tanks are connected at the top by means of a pipe 34, which has an inlet:V

31V, depending through the topwall of the tank into the outer annular compartment 20 and a discharge pipe 36", depending into the inner central compartment 19 of the tank. The pipes 35* and 36* are preferably placed at opposite :sides of the respective compartments into which they depend.

37 indicates a pump which is adapted to pump'the water from the outer compartment 2O and discharge it into the inner compartment 19. Thus with the connecting passage 21 between the compartments 19 and 20 at the bottom, the pump produces a continual interchange between the water in the ltwo compartments.

The compressor 26 andv air expansion engine 31 have, as before stated, a common crank casing 14; and a. common .hase plate 14, which is lsecurely attached to the top wall of the tank l0. ,Both of these devices are of the rotary valve type, and as shown herein, are identical in construction, the only difference boing in the timingl of their 'valves with relation to the movement of L their respective pistons.

35 indicates the cylinder of the compres sor, and 35, the cylinder of the air expansion engine. Said cylinders are arranged with their longitudinal central axes at an angle to cach other` and are bolted to the crank casing H. The cylinder 35 is provided in the head with a circular valve chamber 3G, in which is mounted a circular rotative valve plugr 3l'. The circular wall of the valve chamber 36, in which the rotative valve has hearing. is made integral with the cylinder. The lateral walls o said valve chamber are provided, by means of flanged plates 3S, 39. One of these plates, namely the plate 39, provides hearing for a", shaft 40, fixed to the valve plug and having attached to its end a sprocket wheel 41, 7o

which is connected by a sprocket chain '42 to the crank shaft of the compressor. The valve plug 37 nas an annular groove 37e in its periphery, and, communicating with said groove, a single port 43 in its face udja'c'ent 75 the plate 39. The plate 39 has in its face adjacent the valve plug a comparatively long arcuate groove 44, adapted to conimunicate with the port 4:3 in the valve plug in the course of the rotation of said valve a0 leads from the inlet coil 23 and a passage i which connects the short the out-let pipe 28. t

48 indicates the piston of the compressor, 49, the pitman of same, 50, the crank pin and 51, the crank arm, the latter being fixed on a crank shaft 52, common to lthe compressor and to the air expansion engine alike. In the plate 38 is Asecured a set screw wliich isadapted to maintain the rotative valve plug in proper 'bearing engagement against the opposite plate 39. A port 54 connects the valve chamber with the cylinder.

ln the operation of the'com )ressor, air is drawn into the. cylinder while t e valve plug is rotating with its single port 43 in -register with the arcuate groove 44, this being the condition throuvhout practically the entire intake stroke o? the piston. 0n the rcturn stroke, the air which has been drawn into the cylinder, being incapable of escape, is compressed until the port 43 in the valve plug comes to register with the short groove 45 in the plate 3S) when said air under high pressure is expelled through thc port 47 into the pipe 28.

The different parts in the air expansion engine are similar-lv constructed to those just described, the like pants being indicated hy the same numerals with the letter a as a superscript. The timing o'l the valve, however, in tle of the air expansion engine, is reversed. the short groove 45 in this case groove 45 with constituting the inlet, while the longer aren-123 pressure is taken in from the pipe 30, at'thef'f125 time the piston is at the end of its outward stroke. This high pressure air taken into the cylinder drives the piston on its inward stroke and then when the supply is cut oil,

which occurs when the piston has traveled o about. onelthird of its e o urse, expands, and 1s .tinally, .when .the .piston is .on its return stroke toward'tlie 'head of the cylinder, ers

hausted through theg'roove 4Min the plug 39a into the pipe 32.

.The crank shaft- Zis driven by af motor 55, mounted on the top of the tank 13.-. Said motor is preteral,lyv an electric motor. The

aneccentric ring 56, mounted onsaid shaft.- The sprocket chainll, which drives-the rov tative valves of the colirpressorand air expansion engine, vis \co nnected to a-sprocket wheel 42, on thefcranlkshaftfpressor. The air will usually be about 38 degrees F. and willfbe comparatively dry. As this comparatively cold air paes through the coil 23 in the innercompartvatmospheric pressure, that is t-o say, the- -Water. through the coil 23 will absorb heat and thus vits temperature will be raised. When this ment of the tank 13, it will absorb heat from the comparatively warmer water in said tank, thus lowering the temperature of said At the Sametime the. air passingr air is acted upon by the compressor 2G, its pressure will be changed from that of the.

pressure in the refrigerator, to a much hi her ressure sa forexam' le 60 ounds pressure. A Its temperature will be raised.

At this pressure' and temperature produced inthe compressor, the air will pass through thepipe 28 into the coil 27 in the outer cornpartrnent ofthe" tank '13. It has been found I in practice that t-he air, when it reaches the coil 27, is much below the teinperature which it should theoreticallyhave at the pressure to which it has been raised,

by the compressor, that is, (l0 pounds as supposed herein. Instead of having a temperatu re of 400, the theoretical temperature corresponding to a 'pressure ot o() pounds. the air when entering the coil 27 has only a temperature of from 125 to 14,0", the tall in temperature being duc al'iparently to radia tion and also probably to the condensation of the moisture in the air, which collects in the. trap and which Vmust he drawn oli at periodic intervals through the coclc 25h. ln passing. through the coil 27, the air loses a further part of its heat to the water in the said compartment 2.0, thus lowering its own temperature and increasing the temperature of the water in said compartment.

lt will he apparent that the action of the air from the refrigerator in passing through the. coil 23 will hc to cool the. water in the inner compartment lllof the tank. while the action of the air in passingr through the coil 27 will be to heat the water in the outer comY partment 20. Thus, whilethewater in the inner compartment is coinparativ ycool,

that in the outercompartinci'it is cornparatively warm. to conduct t-hewarm water fronrthcf outer tank and mix it with the water in the. inne-L' tank, so thatvthe continuous c irculatum tween the two tanks tends toA xnaintainfther,

.saine temperature inA vtl \e t\'\' o tanks, with the result that heat will he ac ipiired-bjl-f the. air v which at atmospheric.pressure.as it passes toward theconnressor andnheat will he lost by the air which is at .the much higher pressure as it passes freni-:the compressor-. Whenthe air, which passesfrom thecoilgf, is conductedhy the pipe `301 thejairv ci` pansion enginel, it-is at subs antiallythe i sainern'essure but`at.a lo .ij--temperature.

as compa redwith its condition when itlcft'.

the compressor. This c onn iarat i vely cold engineand in ope totore described, is expande( inospheric pressure, therel is exhausted trom the an' expansion engine at a lvery-low temperature, silhstantially in theV neighborhood of O degrees li, or hehiw, 'lhisfcold air is led by the' pipe32 vto theldis lr zle 33, and escapingtherefrom, dijops'to the bottom of the refrigerator, i i frigerating appzn'atus withdrawsthe--warn air from the refrigerator, and, after passing it thriaigh the rcfrigeratingLappa-ratus, return's it to thel refrige'rator-as cold air,main taining a continuous circulationfof cold air in the. refrigeratorand keeping it down to lthe desired tennieratlire.' y' 1 ln designing the compressor, air expansion cngineand motor for driving the compressor 'and pump, the parts are calculated so that the, air expansion engine will act to, at least, faire care of the friction'ot the parts, the. motor taking care of thefrestv of the. power iuccssary to drive theV apparatus.

l'l'hile in describing my invention, l have referred to certain details of mechanical consti-actions and :wi-angeincnt, it is tojhe nndcrstood that nay invention is in no way limited then-hr, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

l claim as my invention l. ln a refrigerating apparatus, lin cour bination with a box to hc refrigerated, a coolingr tank, haring a partition wall dividingl said tank into two compartments. one a, cooling*r compartnn-nt and one a heatingr conipartnicnt. an inlet'coil in said cooling compartment. adapted to receive the air from .said box. an outlet l in said heatingr cinnpartnlcnt. a ronlpresan' interposed between "t5-r high pressure an cnterstlieair expansion atingsaul engine) 351mg@ iso cooling compartment and-one a heatinfgcom? 'partment, ari-inlet coil in said cooling cornpartrnent, adaptedto receive the air from lsaid box, an outlet'coillinsaid heating compa'rtment,l a compressor interposed between' said inlet land outlet coils, an' air expansion engine connected with said outlet coil, a conduit for discharging the exhaust lfrom said air expansion engine to said box to be refrigerated, a motor for driving said compressor and means for forcing the Water from 'said heating compartment of the cooling tank into said cooling compartment.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination with a box to be refrigerated, a cooling tank, ha'vinga partition wall dividing said tank into two compartments, one a .clf

ing compartment and onel av heating c partmentpan'inlet .coil in sai 'coolingc partment adapted to --receivge theair` said box, an outlet coil in said. heating c partment, a compressor interposed betw air expansion-engine beingladapted toassist in driving said compressor, a fc'o'ndnit for" discharging` the exhaust from vsiald air jexf pansion engine tosaid box'to vbe refrigerl A,a0 said inlet and outlet coils., an air expansion; engine connected Wlth said outlet coil, "saidY ated, a motor for driving said compressor and means for forcing the Water Afrom said heating compartment of the cooli into said cooling compartment.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing g tank T. AH. ALFREDS, R. VVILKrNs.`

e as my invention I-aix my signature in the 

